egregious
adjective
egre·gious
i-ˈgrē-jəs 
1
: conspicuous
especially
: conspicuously bad : flagrant
egregious errors
egregious padding of the evidence —
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens 2
archaic
: distinguished
egregiously
adverb
egregiousness
noun
Did you know?
Egregious comes from a Latin word meaning "distinguished" or "eminent." It was once a compliment to someone who had a remarkably good quality that placed him or her above others. Today, the meaning of the word is noticeably less complimentary, possibly as a result of ironic use of its original sense.
Examples of egregious in a Sentence
… the public perception is that too many corporate executives have committed egregious breaches of trust by cooking the books, shading the truth, and enriching themselves with huge stock-option profits while shareholders suffered breathtaking losses.
—John A. Byrne et al., Business Week, 6 May 2002
History cannot be rewritten, but some of its more egregious errors can be corrected—at least in part, at least symbolically. … Or so assume a growing number of human-rights advocates.
—Ellis Cose, Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2001
an egregious example of political bias
the student's theme was marred by a number of egregious errors in spelling
John A. Byrne et al., Business Week, 6 May 2002
History cannot be rewritten, but some of its more egregious errors can be corrected—at least in part, at least symbolically. … Or so assume a growing number of human-rights advocates.
—Ellis Cose, Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2001
an egregious example of political bias
the student's theme was marred by a number of egregious errors in spelling
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the more egregious examples of wheel-spinning on IT projects began in the 1980s.
—Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
The most egregious is the wig Snook wears as Dorian for the first half of the play, a curly, blonde, clownish mop.
—Christian Lewis, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
There is, in short, nothing here but unadulterated hagiography of American military might, which feels especially egregious considering the war in question and the filmmaker’s own apparent intentions.
—Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
But The Woman in the Yard represents a new low, its laziness especially egregious given the sensitivity of its subject matter.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for egregious
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Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
The most egregious is the wig Snook wears as Dorian for the first half of the play, a curly, blonde, clownish mop.
—Christian Lewis, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
There is, in short, nothing here but unadulterated hagiography of American military might, which feels especially egregious considering the war in question and the filmmaker’s own apparent intentions.
—Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
But The Woman in the Yard represents a new low, its laziness especially egregious given the sensitivity of its subject matter.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for egregious
Cite this Entry
“Egregious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egregious. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
egregious
adjective
egre·gious
i-ˈgrē-jəs
: very noticeable
especially
: glaringly bad
egregious errors
egregiously
adverb
egregiousness
noun
Legal Definition
egregious
adjective
egre·gious
i-ˈgrē-jəs
: extremely and conspicuously bad
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